Mental Health…Let’s Talk
Recently numerous celebrities and public figures have spoken out about their mental health struggles. Stars such as Beyonce, Carrie Fisher, Adele, Cara Delevingne, Glenn Close, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga and many more have helped open the door to a better understanding and greater acceptance toward mental health issues.
Notably, in 2017, H.R.H. Prince Harry bravely stepped into the public forum to discuss his own struggles with mental health. On a recent trip to Australia, he made an impassioned speech on the topic and said, “You need to know that part of being strong and tough is having the courage to seek help when you need it…You must not silently suffer…Because asking for help was one of the best decisions that I ever made. You will be continually amazed at how life changes for the better.”
Prince Harry, speaking at King’s College, London (2018) - “It is clear to me that many of the problems and difficulties people, both in the military and in wider society, all begin with mental health. Yet support for mental health has been an afterthought for too long. Resources, attention and a huge amount of money have been drawn into addressing the symptoms rather that tackling the cause…When the individual doesn’t or can’t reach out for help, it is also their families who suffer…who are left feeling desperate and confused as they try to seek appropriate help for the ones they love.”
Jon Hamm, American actor – “I did do therapy and anti-depressants for a brief period, which helped me. Which is what therapy does; it gives you another perspective when you are so lost in your own spiral…”
Howie Mandel, Canadian comedian and judge on America’s Got Talent – “We take care of our dental health. We don’t take care of our mental health…I think the solution to making this world better is we would just be healthy, mentally.”
Demi Lovato, American singer – Speaking at the National Council for Behavioural Health in Washington, D.C., “I think it’s important that people no longer look at mental illness as something taboo…It’s something that’s extremely common. 1 in 5 adults has a mental illness, so basically everyone is essentially connected to this problem and this epidemic. The problem with mental illness is people don’t look at it as a physical illness. When you think about it, the brain is actually the most complex organ in your body. We need to treat it like a physical illness and take it seriously.”
Ellie Goulding, British singer – “I was sceptical about (cognitive behavioural therapy) at first because I’d never had therapy, but not being able to leave the house (because of panic attacks) was so debilitating…I think my body has (now) become quite good at controlling anxiety.”
Thanks to all the people coming forward with their stories, our understanding of the importance of mental well-being is beginning to change. Michelle Obama launched an initiative called Change Direction in 2015 aimed at removing the stigma attached to mental health issues. In the same vein, the Duke and Duchess and Cambridge along with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have also joined together to launch a mental health initiative in the UK called Heads Together, which is working to change people’s perceptions on mental health and aiding sufferers to get the help they need.
One possible avenue for help is clinical therapy. However, some public figures have described successfully overcoming their mental health issues through other means such as writing, reconnecting with their faith, help and support from family and friends or through exercise. The most important thing is getting help, in whatever shape or form that may be. Times are changing. As awareness grows about the importance of mental wellbeing, we can be encouraged to move out of the darkness and toward a positive and promising future.
By Elaina Curran, HPD, DSFH, AdvDPLRT, Clinical Hypnotherapist and Past Life Regression Therapist
As published in BS35 Local Magazine, January 2019 issue
